Four Years
by nicolecraswell
Summary: Stiles has been away at college for four years. In those four years he has changed. Now he's returning to Beacon Hills.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome! I hope you'll ignore any typos or grammar mistakes, I wrote this during a quick spurt of inspiration at one in the morning. I'm not sure if I'll expand this into a full fic or just leave it as a one shot. If I get inspired I'll write more, if not I think it stands pretty well as just a short little one-shot. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Of course I am not MTV of Jeff Davis, I do not own anything related to Teen Wolf. (Or Sex in the City because yes, Carrie is heavily based off of the lovely Carrie Bradshaw!) **

Four years, two months, thirteen days, and six hours. That was how long it had been since Stiles had been in Beacon Hills. After a high school career chalk full of werewolves, alphas, and hunters Stiles got as far away as he could for college. New York University. Of course it was painfully difficult to leave his dad behind, especially after what happened with the Darach, but the Sheriff knew that leaving was best for his son. Once he got over the initial nerves of moving to a whole new city all alone, Stiles began to settle in. He had classes every weekday, ranging from the required math and history classes, to miscellaneous classes Stiles had thrown on his schedule, hoping one of them would click. One of them did. Before his first semester was over he had declared his major in education.

Life was different in New York then it had been back home. Stiles hadn't bothered bringing his Jeep across the country and once he saw the daily traffic in New York, he wasn't interested in getting a new car. As a result, Stiles was forced to walk everywhere. Apart for running from werewolves or sitting on the bench during lacrosse games he had never been particularly athletic. After a month and a half of missing his jeep and cursing his aching feet, he grew to enjoy walking, then running; eventually he figured he might as well get a gym membership.

It was three months into his first semester when Stiles realized he had grown so distracted with his classes, workouts, and generally enjoying the city, he had let his hair grow out of its usual buzz cut; and so his New York make-over began.

"Stiles seriously, it's tradition. Everyone who moves to New York goes through some form of change. Usually it's physical; sometimes people opt for a mental breakdown instead. Embrace the new, New York Stiles!"

Stiles laughed at his roommate's girlfriend. "Carrie, I don't need a make-over."

Carrie's eyebrows rose up to the blonde curls swooping across her forehead. "You're living in New York and I've never seen you in anything other than jeans, a tee shirt, and a hoodie; don't need a make-over my ass. This is the fashion capital of America and I am taking you shopping." Stiles gave up. There was no point in arguing, Carrie always got what she wanted. "And you are not shaving your hair!"

A painful four hours later Stiles returned to his rooms, arms heavy with bags full of clothes Carrie had refused to let him pay for himself. "Dude, where have you been?" Stiles dumped the floor and flopped onto his bed, only acknowledging his roommate's inquiry with a grunt. "The movie starts in an hour, get your ass up and get ready to go. You look like shit."

"Your girlfriend kidnapped me."

Jason chuckled, "New York make-over?" Stiles nodded. "Yeah, she did the same to me the week after I asked her out." Stiles made another undecipherable noise of exhaustion into his pillow. He felt something hit his back, Jason's pillow.

"Did you just…?" Jason whistled innocently. Stiles sat up, grabbed the pillow and chucked it back at Jason.

"Oh well now it's war." Stiles grinned and grabbed his own pillow, ready for the impending battle of pillows and roommates that would indubitably end in them missing their movie.

It had been years since that make-over, mere months before Stiles realized that the headaches he was getting in class were not a sign of his brain absorbing information, but rather a result of his eyes straining to be able to see anything. A pair of reading glasses were purchased, followed by an insistence from Carrie that he not get contacts on account of the glasses making him look smarter. In those years Stiles had grown, his regular workouts paid off, matured, he finally got used to wearing the blazers and cardigans Carrie had purchased him in place of his ratty old hoodies, and had recently earned his bachelor's degree in education. Now, after four years, two months, thirteen days, and six hours, Stiles was stepping off his plane from New York, onto California soil, ready to come home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took so long, I wanted to wait until the 3a finale so I had a little bit more of canon to work with, then things just got super hectic with getting ready for school and my cousin just got married etc. That and I'm a horrible victim of this thing called procrastination. Side note, writing a sentence where both subjects use the same pronoun is confusing. Anyway, enough excuses, I hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize in the context of Teen Wolf.**

Four years, two months, thirteen days, and six hours. That's how long it had been since Derek had laid eyes on Stiles Stilinski. It had been a rough four years, Derek had to get used to the idea that Scott was his alpha now. Derek may have been a wolf for longer, and knew more about the lore, but he quickly realized Scott was meant to be the alpha. Scott just fell into a leadership role so seamlessly, once Derek adjusted, he couldn't imagine it any other way.

Then Stiles left and things fell apart. The pack started fighting. Scott and Isaac began a feud over Allison, who began to slink back towards hunting, Derek and Lydia were constantly at each other's throats, and Peter just watched, chuckling as the pack tore each other to shreds. It wasn't until Peter finally made his move that they were able to pull themselves together. Even a pack that hates each other would still die for each other. It took all they had to kill Peter… again.

"You okay Derek?" Derek shot Isaac a glare.

"What do you think?"

"Right sorry." Isaac said. He slumped down at the base of a tree. The others joined him on the forest floor, exhausted. "Hey Scott, thanks for that back there by the way." Scott looked up, briefly confused, "Saving my ass by distracting Peter?"

Scott nodded, "It was nothing. We would all be dead if it wasn't for Derek swooping in and saving the day at the last second."

"I almost didn't come." Derek said, looking at the ground. "I wouldn't have if it weren't for Lydia telling me how much trouble you guys were in."

Lydia smiled, "Yeah well we kinda needed you; they were getting killed out there. Though I must say, I might not have bothered if I had known Allison was about to swoop in like Batman and save everyone."

Allison smiled and put an arm around her best friend. "Please it was a good thing you came back when you did, I was almost out of arrows!" The pack all started laughing, before they remembered that they were supposed to be sad. The laughter trailed off.

Scott was the first to speak after a moment of silence, "Thank you, all of you. If just one of you guys had bailed tonight we would all be dead."

"I guess we need each other more than we thought." Allison said. The pack nodded in agreement.

Scott spoke again, "Look, I know we have our differences, but look at how strong we are when we work together. So can we please just stop fighting? Please?" He looked around at his pack.

"I'm sorry I've been such an ass." Isaac said quietly.

"Thanks. I know it's been hard on all of us since Stiles left, he was the glue that held us together, but fighting isn't going to solve anything."

After that night there was a noticeable change in the pack. Each member made an effort to get along with each other and disputes led to more discussions and less punching each other in the face. They still fought of course, but they always made sure to apologize afterwards and make sure both parties involved were okay. More challenges were thrown at them but with an extraordinarily cheesy amount of teamwork they were able to overcome them.

Cora visited from her apartment in LA every once in a while, she had decided city life was a much better fit for her and had left around the same time Stiles had. Derek missed his sister of course, but, unlike the years after the fire, he was comforted by the knowledge that she was alive and well.

Derek missed Stiles, he hadn't realized just how important the Sheriff's son was to the pack, and to himself, until after he was gone. Stiles really had been the glue that held them together and his absence left a hole in all of their hearts. Scott had taken a year to stop being constantly plagued by the depression that came with missing his best friend. That's not to say he didn't still miss Stiles, just that it was more manageable now. Derek hadn't expected to miss Stiles, but he did.

So when Derek heard the Sheriff telling one of his colleagues about how Stiles was coming home, Derek was overcome with a sense of joy; his pack would finally be whole again. The pack was all waiting anxiously at his apartment for Scott to get a call from his best friend, saying he was back on California soil. After four years, two months, thirteen days, and six hours, Stiles was coming home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah I feel like I should stop apologizing every time there is a ridiculously long gap between updates otherwise I will never do anything other than say sorry. I had school start recently etc, etc. I promise I'm not abandoning anything! I'm taking a writing class this year which hopefully will get me in the habit of writing regularly so I can update more. I love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf**

It was official. Stiles was back in Beacon Hills. He stared out the window at the scenery, so familiar, and yet somehow foreign. It certainly was a far cry from the concrete jungle that was New York. He had forgotten how much he missed the cute single family houses, shops that weren't part of huge chains, restaurants that didn't cost more than your rent to eat at, and the trees. Oh the trees. Sure New York had Central Park, but it wasn't the same as having every street lined with green.

Stiles was nervous. It was one of those things that didn't really make sense in his head but he couldn't get over it. He hadn't seen any of his friends in four years. He had talked to Scott on the phone a few times right after he left, but as time wore on those calls got few and far between. Even though he knew it was unlikely, Stiles couldn't shake the fear that his friends wouldn't remember him, or worse, would hate him.

He was going to his house first. Stiles wanted to drop off his things and take a minute to collect himself before seeing the pack. His room was exactly has he had left it, as if his dad hadn't even opened the door since he had left. His Game of Thrones poster was on the wall, star wars sheets on his bed, and tee shirts he hadn't ended up taking with him to New York scattered his floor. Stiles let out a sigh. For some reason he had expected it to feel different but it was just the same old room it had always been. It was Stiles who was different. He wasn't the same hyperactive little boy he had been before Scott had been bitten. He was scarred from the battles, from the arguments, from the horror of watching the people he love bleed before him. In the long run it made him stronger, but he knew he would never fully heal. But all that was behind him. Just because Stiles was back in Beacon Hills, didn't mean he was planning on getting involved in the supernatural again. Stiles just wanted to be one of those stereotypical, clichéd, college students who still live in their childhood bedrooms leeching off their parents money and wandering around aimlessly with no idea what to do with his life.

Suddenly there was a pair of tanned arms around Stiles' neck. "You're back!" Stiles laughed and backed up a step to look at his best friend. "When did you get back? Why didn't you call me? Dude I can't believe you didn't come over the second your plane landed."

"Scott breathe." Scott stopped to take a breath, looking at his best friend like an excited puppy. "And I thought I was supposed to be the hyperactive one."

"I haven't seen my best friend in four fucking years. I'm allowed to be a little excited." Stiles smiled and hugged his best friend.

A few hours later Stiles had begun to realize that the only thing that seemed to have changed in the past four years was himself. Allison and Scott were still dating on and off, Derek was (according to Isaac) off brooding in his apartment, and the second Lydia saw him she almost cried with joy at his new look.

"Oh my god. Who did this to you? I need to send them a thank you card and some seriously expensive flowers." Stiles laughed, hugging her tighter.

"Yeah I missed you too Lydia." Stiles was almost surprised to notice that while he was hugging her, his heart didn't beat faster and he wasn't having any trouble breathing. He had almost expected his old crush on her to come rushing back. Now he felt nothing for her but a warm friendship type love; the fact that her boyfriend was A) a werewolf, B) an alpha, and C) kind of terrifying, didn't hurt either.

Lydia broke the hug and fixed her hair. "It is so good you're back, the boys won't admit it, but they were a wreck without you. I mean, we got to the point where they could function without ripping any throats out but it was pretty hostile for a few months." Stiles was shocked. He knew the pack missed him but he had never realized just how integral to the pack's functionality he was.

Stiles' revelations were interrupted by Stiles noticing Isaac was suddenly looking rather shocked at something behind him. Stiles turned around to see the wolf in leather behind him. "Derek…"


End file.
